Cody Gakpo: Liverpool's new Dutch signing has gone the extra mile for success

Cody Gakpo is thing of a trailblazer.

Tracked by a drawstring of apical clubs, including Manchester United, the 23-year-old guardant has scored 21 goals and provided 25 assists successful 41 Eredivisie games since the commencement of the 2020-21 season.

Predominantly a left-sided player, who tin besides play centrally, Gakpo's banal roseate adjacent further with 3 goals astatine the World Cup successful Qatar for the Netherlands.

'Cody wants to rise the bar'

Gakpo was calved successful Eindhoven and joined the PSV academy astatine the property of six. His parents, a Ghanaian begetter and a Dutch mother, person been among his strongest supporters passim his career.

He has antecedently admitted to moving connected his crippled with his begetter successful section parks erstwhile clip allows, specified is his dedication to his development.

His other enactment besides includes doing one-to-one sessions with show expert Loran Vrielink, a manager and laminitis of Tactalyse, which is simply a institution designed to assistance footballers summation a deeper knowing of their games.

"Cody wanted to rise the barroom and beryllium much efficient," Vrielink tells BBC Sport.

"He invests successful himself. Players are much alert that they person to bash much idiosyncratic enactment to amended themselves, they can't simply trust connected the caput coach.

"A batch of details we sermon are not casual to manager due to the fact that determination isn't the time. You analyse the crippled and spot the things that marque the difference, similar wherever helium picks the shot up and the predisposition of his caput and his body.

"All our players make successful a cognitive, tactical way. We accommodate to things the manager wants and Cody embraces that."

Vrielink says 1 of the main focuses has been helping Gakpo prosper successful antithetic positions.

"Before the World Cup, we knew helium was going to play arsenic a fig 10 oregon a striker successful a antithetic formation," says Vrielink.

"We focused connected the antithetic positions. At PSV, [manager] Ruud van Nistelrooy wanted antithetic things from him this play than Roger Schmidt past year.

"He is ever amended connected the near and looking astatine Liverpool's squad, determination is the anticipation to play much [there]. That is wherever helium was astir successful."

Gakpo scored 9 goals and recorded 12 assists successful the Eredivisie this season.

The 'hybrid' winger

Both physically and stylistically, determination are similarities with erstwhile France and Arsenal prima Thierry Henry - a leader of Gakpo's increasing up, and idiosyncratic helium inactive watches connected YouTube.

The 6ft 4in subordinate is beardown and technical, built much similar a striker, but besides has the gait and power required to play retired wide.

"English shot is faster, a higher level," says Vrielink. "He has to accommodate and that takes time, but I'm convinced he'll beryllium a success.

"He played immoderate games arsenic a striker astatine PSV, [but] not many. He is taller than astir players, but with his interaction and dribbles helium tin beryllium truly efficient.

"He has a bully changeable range. He is simply a antithetic benignant of winger to what Liverpool already have."

Dutch writer Elko Born told the Football Daily podcast that Gakpo has each the traits to alteration his crippled successful a tactically fluid situation - similar that created by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

"People accidental they spot him evolving into a fig 9 successful the future, partially due to the fact that of his physicality," said Born.

"He tin play with his backmost to goal. He is simply a implicit subordinate and that is attractive. We saw astatine the World Cup that helium is acceptable to marque the adjacent measurement successful his career."

'He looks astatine the crippled successful a deeper way'

Dutch skipper Virgil van Dijk said his caller nine teammate could c "go to the satellite and back", and it is Gakpo's interior thrust and tendency that has seen his vocation instrumentality off.

"Cody is simply a astute player, helium thinks astir the game," adds Vrielink.

"He looks astatine his actions and knows what makes him much consistent. If you bash that more, you get much confidence.

"Before, helium would sometimes people oregon sometimes not; the occupation was not his finishing, but creating chances.

Virgil van Dijk (right) said Gakpo (left) could' 'go to the satellite and back' astatine the World Cup.

"We focused connected creating 10 chances per game, and helium does that now. It each starts without the ball, knowing however to run; from determination you make and beryllium successful.

"Some players look astatine goals and assists. Cody tin look astatine the crippled successful a deeper mode due to the fact that helium focuses connected what helium needs to do.

"We speech astir mentality, but knowing what you request to bash connected a tactical level gives you much motivation. If you make 10 chances a crippled similar Cody does, you'll get much goals and assists."

Although the cognition whitethorn beryllium that Liverpool person signed a subordinate disconnected the backmost of a beardown World Cup, grounds suggests helium has been gathering towards this for 18 months. But present helium has to marque different measurement up.

"The apical players successful the satellite don't dip successful form," says Vrielink.

"That consistency is inactive missing connected a large level; you request to look astatine yourself to make now."

• Our sum of Liverpool is bigger and amended than ever earlier - here's everything you request to know to marque definite you ne'er miss a moment
• Everything Liverpool - spell consecutive to each the champion content

• Our sum of your Premier League nine is bigger and amended than ever earlier - follow your squad and motion up for notifications successful the BBC Sport app to marque definite you ne'er miss a moment